St. Helena Steps It Up

Two new openings this spring will be breathing some new life into St. Helena’s historic downtown strip. The opening chef de cuisine from Martini House, Kelly McCown, returns to his old stoves this April with ~GOOSE &AMP; GANDER~ (the name references the old expression “what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander”). The restaurant’s plan is “rustic American” inspired by local seasonal products, with tasty treats like hand-pulled burrata, skillet-roasted white prawns, and a G&G burger with duck fat fries. Scott Beattie, Mr. Artisanal Cocktail himself, used to bartend at Martini House in its early years under chef McCown, and is now returning to put together an A-list bar program and to man the much beloved basement bar. Though the cellar bar remains essentially unchanged, the rest of the 90-year-old bungalow building has undergone some renovation—the entrance is back to its original location, the upstairs dining room has been retooled with leather booths and reclaimed redwood tables, and the garden spaces have seen some new plantings and touch-ups (though the 100-year-old cedars and koi pond are still there). The restaurant will open for dinner only in late April (upstairs dining room serving 4pm-10pm, basement bar from 4pm-12am), with lunch following sometime in May, and garden seating available after Memorial Day. 1245 Spring St. at Oak St., St. Helena, 707-967-8779.

At the north end of the main drag, the historic Vanderbilt building will soon be home to ~FRENCH BLUE~, a collaborative venture from the legendary Leslie Rudd, Howard Backen, and Lori Backen. The restaurant is named for the distinctive blue doors that have been on the building for over 50 years. Take a look at an artist’s rendering of it here. Though architect Howard Backen has designed plenty of restaurants in the past (PRESS, Evvia, Kokkari)—as well as an unbelievable roster of wineries like Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle, Ovid, and Paul Hobbs—this will be his first foray into restaurant ownership. Howard’s wife Lori is an interior designer (a well matched pair if ever there was one), and she is coordinating a warm, contemporary wine country setting for French Blue with two fireplaces, a communal table in the center, and an open kitchen with wood-burning oven and grill.

Chef Philip Wang (formerly of Carneros Inn, Truc in Boston, and Merriman’s Kapalua in Maui) will feature plenty of products sourced from Rudd Farm & Orchards on Mt. Veeder, as well as baked goods from Noe Valley Bakery’s Michael Gassen, but almost everything will be made in house. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, patio seating, outdoor fireplace, private dining, retail store for artisanal products … the place is aiming to do it all. Opening day is scheduled for sometime in May. 1429 Main St. between Adams and Pine Sts., St. Helena, 707-968-9200.

Other changes are afoot, as well. Cindy Pawlcyn’s ~BRASSICA~ has launched a Sunday night Porchetta and Tempranillo special, putting their Caja China charcoal oven to good use. The slow-roasted whole pork loin is stuffed with garlic, sage, rosemary, fennel fronds and pollen, sliced thickly, and accompanied by braised seasonal greens and white gigantes for $22. Paired with a taste, glass, or bottle of tempranillo, this gorgeous piece of pork will almost certainly take the edge off those Sunday night blues. 641 Main St. at Mills Ln., St. Helena, 707-963-0700.

Last but not least, the fabulous Nancy Silverton will be celebrating the release of her new Mozza Cookbook with special Italian menus at the Bay Area restaurants of her close friends Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani. These three all worked together at the original Spago back in the early ’80s, and have stayed tight in the intervening 30 years. Thanks to the hospitality of Hiro and Lissa, Nancy and her co-author Matt Molina will be at ~TERRA~ in St. Helena to sign books on Wednesday March 28th and Thursday March 29th. Departing from the usual menu, Terra will offer a four-course tasting menu ($96) with optional wine pairings ($50), inspired by the recipes in the cookbook. (Sone and Doumani’s SF spot Ame will also host a Mozza dinner on Tuesday March 27th, with five courses for $120, and optional wine pairings for $55). You must call to reserve for this special menu, and prepay when you book your spot. It’s Nancy Silverton, yo, so don’t whine. Terra, 1345 Railroad Ave. between Hunt Ave. and Adams St., St. Helena, 707-963-8931.